Federal law requires mammals other than rabbits to be stunned prior to slaughter
Electric current is used to induce a heart attack and seizures
It’s not uncommon for an animal to suffer one or two failed stuns, in the case of a failed electrical stun, the animal might be paralyzed without losing sensibility
Hogs are dunked in tanks of hot water after they are stunned to soften the hides for skinning, some hogs are being scalded and drowned
Over 95% of the US land animals killed for food are bird
There is no federal law requiring they be handled humanely
Birds are immobilized by an electrical stunning, hanging in shackles, the birds pass through an electric water bath
Each year several hundred thousand chickens and turkeys reach the scalding tanks alive
During religious slaughter like kosher and halal animals are usually fully conscious as their throats are cut
Supposed to induce rapid loss of consciousness, study of cattle at 5 plants shows that from the end of the cut until the eyes rolled back and the cow started to collapse ranged from 9-120 seconds, some lasting 385 seconds
Undercover videos show workers ripping the tracheas and esophagi from the throats of fully conscious cattle after the ritual cut
Some of the animals are shown writhing in pools of blood trying to stand for minutes afterwards
Prior to slaughter live cattle were hung upside down by chain attached to on back leg
Sometimes an animas back leg is broken during hoisting
In January of 2007 a Mercy For Animals investigation took a job in North Carolina at one of the nation’s largest poultry slaughterhouses to witness the conditions firsthand
Birds with broken legs and wings, open wounds, and large tumors were shackled and hung on the slaughter line
Some injured were left writhing on the floor for hours beforehand
Workers punched, kicked, threw, and mutilated live birds
They tore eggs from the birds’ cloacae to toss at coworkers
Ripped the heads off birds who were trapped inside transport cages
A year later PETA released footage of 2 other large plants in Tennessee and Georgia
Birds were mangled by the killing machines or had their heads yanked off by co-workers
Found neck-cutting machines routinely missed, slicing open the chickens wings, faces, and other body parts
Numerous birds entered the scald tanks for feather removal fully conscious
Found workers violently and repeatedly throwing live chickens into a wall, picking up chickens by their legs and swinging their heads into the floor, as well as kicking and jumping up and down on live chickens
USDA FSIS is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act
The agency employs veterinarians and inspectors to monitor activities at federally inspected plants
Workers abusing sick or disable cattle and dragging at least one of the cows to be slaughtered, violation of federal food safety standards, inspectors from 2 auditing firms visited the Westland/ Hallmark Meat Co. plant and gave it glowing marks
Slaughter house workers watch every move of federal inspectors, they know when they take bathroom breaks, they use radio to alert one another to the inspectors every step
Workers would hold conversations with inspectors to keep them from going to different parts of the building where workers were doing something against regulation
A plant slaughtered days old male dairy calves for the production of “bob veal”
Vid shows infant calves too weak to stand or walk on their own being kicked, shocked repeatedly, one worker ever tried to skin a conscious calf directly in front of a USDA inspector, but the inspector didn’t stop him
A worker at a slaughter house named Ramon Moreno stated “The cattle were supposed to be dead before they got to Moreno. But too often they weren’t. “‘They blink. They make noises, the head moves, the eyes are wide and looking around. ’“Still Moreno would cut. On bad days, he says, dozens of animals reached his station clearly alive and conscious. Some would survive as far as the tail cutter, the belly ripper, the hide puller. They die piece by piece.”
"Pro and Con Slaughter Arguments - Habitat for Horses - Equine Protection Organization - Horse Rescue, Rehabilitation, Horse Education and Adoptions." Habitat for Horses. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. http://habitatforhorses.org/joincampaigns/proandcon.html.
Pros- Argue that it is done humanely. A pneumatic device shoots a stream of air of a retractable bolt into the animals brain, rendering it unconscious before the throat is cut
The American Veterinarian Medical Association contradicts itself in its public thesis on humane euthanasia
States "Animal welfare is a human responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being, from proper housing and nutrition to preventive care, treatment of disease, and when necessary, humane euthanasia. The AVMA's commitment to animal welfare is unsurpassed."
"When the animal is euthanized, death will come quickly and painlessly. If the animal is standing when the death-inducing drug is given, the animal will become unconscious and unable to sense fear or pain while still standing. After the animal has fallen, unconscious, to the ground, death will ensue."
Proponents also argue that humane slaughter is the best option for owners who can’t afford to have animals euthanized and then have its carcass hauled away.
Beltex and Dallas Crown employ approximately 200 people
"McDonald's Cruelty: The Rotten Truth About Egg McMuffins." McDonald's Cruelty: The Rotten Truth About Egg McMuffins. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. http://www.mcdonaldscruelty.com/. Hidden-camera footage taken at Sparboe facilities in Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado reveals:
Hens crammed into filthy wire cages with less space for each bird than a standard-sized sheet of paper to live her life,
unable to fully stretch her wings or engage in most other natural behaviors
Workers burning off the beaks of young chicks without any painkillers and callously throwing them into cages
some missing the cage doors and hitting the floor
Workers grabbing hens by their throats and ramming them into battery cages
Rotted hens, decomposed beyond recognition as birds, left in cages with hens still laying eggs for human consumption
A worker tormenting a bird by swinging her around in the air while her legs were caught in a grabbing device
A worker shoving a bird into the pocket of another employee without any regard for the animal's fear and suffering
Chicks trapped and mangled in cage wire - others suffering from open wounds and torn beaks
Live chicks thrown into plastic bags to be suffocated
Common sense tells us that animals should be given at a minimum the freedom to walk, stretch their limbs, turn around and engage in natural behaviors.
McDonald's supplier deprives hens of even these most basic freedoms.
After viewing the undercover footage, Dr. Sara Shields, research scientist, poultry specialist and consultant in animal welfare, condemned battery-cage egg production
“Battery cage operations are inherently cruel. The barren, restrictive environment offers no hope for an acceptable quality of life, and such severely overcrowded confinement would be unthinkable for any other farmed species. World-wide, there is increasing recognition that battery cages are simply not appropriate housing.”
barren battery cages are so cruel that the entire European Union and the states of California and Michigan have banned their use.
leading food retailers, such as Whole Foods, Hellmann's, Wolfgang Puck and Subway, and hundreds of colleges and universities refuse to use or sell eggs from hens subjected to the inherent abuses of battery cages.
MFA is calling on McDonald's Corporation to end its use of eggs from hens confined in battery cages in the United States, as it has already in the European Union.
As Dr. Shields states, "Animals are designed to move, are biologically prepared for regular movement, and will suffer physical consequences if they are not given the freedom to exercise."
Sadly, not a single federal law currently provides any protection to birds at the hatchery, on the factory farm, or during slaughter.
most states including those in which this investigation was conducted have sweeping exemptions for farmed animals,
allow for abuses to run rampant without prosecution.
As the largest egg purchaser in the United States, McDonald's has enormous power in effecting improved standards of care for egg-laying hens.
MFA is also asking that McDonald's actively support a recent agreement between the United Egg Producers
The Humane Society of the United States that seeks to establish federal regulations that would provide hens enough space to turn around
as well as environmental enrichment's, such as perches and nesting boxes.
“Today I saw about 50 dead turkeys on the trucks, and about 80 live birds fell onto the floor. A worker tried to throw a turkey up to the double-sided dock from its rail side.”
“The bird was about to hit the rail when another worker kneed the bird and then kicked it, knocking it back down to the floor. The worker threw the turkey a second time, but it hit the underside of the dock and dropped straight down to the cement floor for its third time that day.”
“The bird lay in watery feces for about two hours before being picked up and hung on the line - the turkey could keep its head up and blink; it was otherwise motionless.”
“Many turkeys were covered in blood today, and about four had their wings torn such that I could see the main bone of the wing sticking out from their bodies.”
“Another turkey had a gash in its underside about 8 inches long and opened up about 3 inches wide. Also, about three turkeys were smashed under the wheels of the tucks in the bay today."
Thursday, January 11, 2007
“I saw many turkeys with large gaps of missing feathers and large blood stains today.”
“One small turkey had its foot stuck under its cage wall. A worker grabbed the turkey's right leg and yanked hard several times until the bird came loose. As it did, the worker let go of it and it fell onto the concrete floor under the dock, blood seeping from its left foot and the bird lay motionless with its head up and legs spread out.”
“The bird lay there for about an hour before it was dropped into the live pen and eventually hanged.”
“I saw a worker throw a turkey from the double-sided dock to the opposite dock, where it bounced slightly on the flooring and lay motionless with its head up before being hanged shortly thereafter.”
Friday, January 12, 2007
“There were about 100 turkeys and chickens dead upon arrival today - many missing feathers, with open wounds, and with large sores on their feet.”
“I saw a chicken with an abscess on her left leg about the size of a tennis ball, and another chicken whose right leg was mashed to the point of bloody pulp, and hanged by both legs to go down the line.”
“I saw several workers sticking their fingers and entire hands into chickens to search for eggs. When they found one, they would usually squeeze the chickens' abdomens as they reached for the egg to pull it out, collecting them for later or throwing them at coworkers.”
“I also witnessed a worker tear the crest off a hanged hen to throw at a coworker.”
Monday, January 15, 2007
“I saw a turkey with a fleshy abscess about the size of a baseball on its chest today. There were about 80 dead turkeys on the trucks and numerous turkeys with lacerations on their bodies, broken wings, and cut or broken legs and feet.”
“While we were hanging turkeys from the live pen at one point today, a worker threw a turkey from the one-sided dock to mine, right in front of my feet. The bird hit the metal flooring and immediately began flapping its wings and trying to run.”
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
“I saw a turkey with a soft abscess on its chest larger than the size of a baseball, and several turkeys with broken wings. The broken wings I saw were snapped at the wings' tops so that I could see the bones sticking out.”
“As usual, I saw dozens of turkeys with swollen knees, though today I saw three with knees that were completely limp, indicating they were either broken or dislocated.”
Wednesday,January 17, 2007
“There were about 100 turkeys dead on arrival at the plant today.”
“I saw a turkey on the one-sided dock lying on its back and convulsing violently for several minutes, ignored by a worker who stood just yards away. Another turkey was partially run over in the hanging bay. The turkey was unable to walk and was bleeding from its face.”
“I saw a coworker swing a turkey around themselves like it was a basketball and then ram the turkey into another worker.”
“I also witnessed another worker swing a turkey around his legs like it was a basketball, hold the turkey between his legs to slap it twice with his right hand, then finally hang it. One of the turkey's legs was broken as a result of the rough handling.”
“I saw a turkey whose head was in between its cage bars and sticking through the top of the truck. A worker hooked the turkey's neck with his pole and ripped the turkeys head off by yanking with both arms. I later found the turkey's head on my dock, presumably thrown there.”
Thursday, January 18, 2007
“There were about 60 dead turkeys today, and about 30 injured from falling onto the bay floor, resulting in broken knees, evident by swelling, immobility of the joints by the turkey, and a free range of motion at the joints.”
“The line shut down today, due to a shackle getting stuck in the grinder room. The line was stopped for about 20 minutes, and every available shackle within reach of workers in the hanging bay had a turkey hanged on it. After a few minutes the turkeys were opening and closing their beaks slowly, as if gasping for breath.”
“I observed the kill room today. In about 20 seconds I saw about 10 turkeys thrashing violently for several seconds, and some continually as they left my view, after having their throats cut.”
Friday, January 19, 2007
“I saw two turkeys with large abscess on their chests. One was larger than a baseball, and the other was slightly smaller than a cantaloupe. I saw dozens of birds with bloody rear ends, one turkey with a bloody scab on its right hip about 10 inches in diameter, and several turkeys with broken, bloody wings.”
“One such bird, whose right wing was broken and right side was covered in blood, was lying on the bay floor near a DOA (Dead On Arrival) bin. Thinking the bird was dead, a worker picked it up and slung it against the side of the DOA bin, missing its open top. A manager e then pointed out that the bird was still alive. The turkey was then hanged on the line - breathing but otherwise completely immobile.”
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
“Today, for about three minutes, I saw a worker use the turkeys on the line as punching bags. Using his right hand, he would punch their heads with quick jabs and then swing into their bodies with his right hand, sometimes turning his hips and shoulders for leverage. When he would swing, the turkeys would fly back on their shackles from the impact.”
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
“I saw one worker stand on a turkey's leg that was dangling over the two-foot high section of the double-sided dock, holding the turkey in the air. As two workers looked on, the first worker let go of the turkey as soon as a truck's wheels passed by, crushing the turkeys right wing when it fell. The turkey was left on the ground unattended.”
“Another turkey that was run over at the end of the day was left twitching and openly bleeding from several wounds.”
Thursday, January 25, 2007
“Two turkeys were run over by trucks. By the end of the day their bodies were red mush.”
Friday, January 26, 2007
“I saw dozens of turkeys with broken knees and ankles, several with open bleeding wounds, one with a broken right wing with a bone sticking out of a bleeding opening in the birds' side, and a turkey with a thick bloody scab covering the entire right side of the turkey's torso.”
Monday, January 29, 2007
“I saw a worker throw a round-kick into a chicken, and knee another while they were on the line on the lowest end of the double-sided dock. Both strikes were forceful enough to send the birds swinging on their shackles.”
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
“I saw two turkeys with soft tumors on their chests larger than baseballs, and several turkeys with broken, freely moving knees or ankles.”
“I saw a worker try to pull a turkey whose leg was stuck under the rear wire wall of its cage free by pulling on the turkey with a pole latched to the turkeys' neck near its head. The head popped off, with the body flopping around afterward until a worker managed to pry it free.”
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
“About 50 turkeys were dead on arrival, two live ones were run over by trucks, and I pulled about 30 out of cages with broken/dislocated knees and/or ankles. A variety of turkeys had open bleeding wounds, and one had a large fleshy tumor on its chest the size of a cantaloupe, that was hanging down about eight inches.”
“Several turkeys had their legs stuck under the cage wire walls - one had its left leg stuck past the knee. The leg was scraped and bleeding, and the turkey's belly had an open wound covering it in blood. A worker grabbed the turkey by its neck and pulled on it for about 14 seconds”.
“He turned the turkey from left to right while pulling on its neck, and then he put one foot on a cage under the turkey and pulled on its neck several times as hard as he could. The turkey remained stuck.”
Monday, February 5, 2007
“Today I saw the kill room. I saw birds flapping their wings and flailing their bodies after about half a minute of having their throats' cut.”
“I saw a live hanger step on a turkey's neck after it fought him as he tried to hang it. As one of his feet stood on the turkey's neck, he held onto one leg and slapped the other with his hand until it kicked up for him to grab. He then hanged the turkey.”
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
“I saw a live hanger step on a turkey's neck today when the bird fought him as he tried to hang it. He slammed his right foot down on the neck as he held the turkey's legs, and the bird began convulsing uncontrollably. He then threw the bird aside behind the line of shackles and kicked the bird in its head as it continued having spasm. A couple minutes later, the turkey stopped moving.”
“I saw several turkeys with bloody sores and cuts, including one with a large bloody sore about four inches across on the back left of her body. I also saw a five-pound turkey shackled on the line who was missing all of her feathers, with bloody scabs covering her body.”
Thursday, February 8, 2007
“Today I witnessed over 20 turkeys with broken/dislocated knees and/or ankles, including one turkey with two swollen, broken knees dark with bruising. The legs moved like jelly. I saw several dozen turkeys with bleeding wounds on various parts of their bodies, and two turkeys with soft tumors on their chests about the size of cantaloupes.”
Friday, February 9, 2007
“I saw several turkeys hanged by one foot so that their ankle twisted and broke, tearing the skin open as well.”
“The line stopped for a few minutes twice today, and then broke and was stalled for about 25 minutes - turkeys hanging form every possible shackle on the line. After several minutes the turkeys began panting struggling, then gave up.”
An MFA investigator documented appalling abuse and neglect at a Butterball facility in Shannon, North Carolina
Butterball workers violently kicked and stomped on birds, dragged them by their wings and necks, slammed them into transport crates and left turkeys to suffer from serious untreated injuries and infections
MFA reached out to the local District Attorney's office to uphold state anti-cruelty laws and to charge Butterball for its criminal violations
Using evidence from the case, the state issued a search warrant to raid Butterball. For two days authorities documented Butterball's neglect
An MFA undercover investigator exposed appalling cruelty at the fast-food giant's major egg supplier. Hidden-camera footage shot at Sparboe Farms – the fifth-largest egg producer in the country and a significant egg supplier to McDonald's, Target, Sam's Club, Supervalu, and Hy-Vee
revealed hens crammed into filthy battery cages and dead hens left to rot alongside birds still laying eggs for human consumption. The investigator also documented workers burning off the beaks of chicks without painkillers
sadistically and maliciously torturing animals, and throwing live birds into plastic bags and leaving them to suffocate
Working undercover at Iowa's largest pig factory farm which confines thousands of mother pigs to barren metal crates barely larger than their own bodies and supplies pork products to major grocery chains, including Kroger, Safeway, HyVee and Costco
MFA's investigator documented management training employees to use dull clippers to cut off the tails of piglets, to castrate them without painkillers and to throw piglets across the room comparing it to a "roller coaster ride."
The investigation also revealed mother pigs physically taxed from constant birthing suffering from distended, inflamed, bleeding, and usually fatal uterine prolapses, and sick and injured pigs often left to languish and slowly die without proper veterinary care
Stirring massive mainstream media attention, the investigation also raised awareness among millions of people about how the majority of pigs are raised and killed for food in the United States
Undercover footage from this factory farm which raises over 10,000 calves for use on dairy farms documented workers bludgeoning calves with pickaxes and hammers
burning out their horns without painkillers, standing on their necks, pulling them by their ears, and leaving them to suffer without veterinary care
holding abusers accountable, and prompted countless consumers to consider the plight of calves born into the dairy industry for the first time
Hidden camera footage secretly shot at a Texas fish slaughter facility revealed shocking cruelty, including workers cutting, slicing, skinning, suffocating and dismembering live and fully conscious catfish an excruciatingly painful practice harshly condemned by veterinarians
It is now widely accepted that fish feel pain. In fact, fish process pain in much the same way as mammals. In the U.S. each year, approximately 8.4 billion fish are killed for food. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 80% of farm-raised fish are catfish, with Texas as a leading producer
MFA contacted all 181 Texas House and Senate members to address the abuse by introducing new legislation to specifically prohibit "skinning and dismembering of all live, conscious animals" during the 2011 legislative session
This undercover investigation exposed the inherent cruelty of crated veal production whereby baby calves are chained by their necks in filthy stalls, where they can't turn around, walk or engage in natural behaviors
The majority of veal sold in the U.S. comes from calves raised in this abusive manner, yet five states and all 27 countries in the European Union have outlawed the practice
Immediately following the investigative release, Costco Wholesale, the third largest grocery chain in America, adopted a policy against purchasing veal from producers that use the create-and-chain production method, and Bob Barker, Emmy Award-winning host of The Price is Right, urged consumers nationwide to boycott veal and dairy
The exposé prompted Ohio decision-makers to vote in favor of a veal crate phase out in the state
Hidden camera video recorded at this Central Ohio dairy farm reveals sadistic and malicious cruelty to cows and newborn calves.
The undercover footage exposes animals being beaten in the face with metal pipes, repeatedly stabbed with pitchforks, having their tails broken, and being kicked, thrown, and punched by employees
As a result of the investigation, a farm worker was arrested and convicted of six counts of animal cruelty, numerous dairy suppliers ended their relationships with the facility, support was generated for a statewide animal protection initiative, and consumers nationwide learned about the dark side of dairy production
Calves having their tails cut off and horns burned out of their skulls without painkillers, workers hitting, kicking and shocking cows, sick and injured animals left to suffer without proper veterinary care
cows forced to live in filthy and overcrowded sheds – these were the abuses uncovered during an MFA investigation at Willet Dairy
The investigation garnered national media attention and led to a criminal conviction on grounds of cruelty to animals, and the introduction of a bill in New York State to prohibit the cruel and unnecessary tail docking of dairy cattle
MFA's investigation at Country View Family Farms provided consumers with a jarring glimpse into the nightmarish world of pork production
documenting the standard practice of keeping thousands of pregnant pigs confined in two-feet wide metal stalls called “gestation crates” that are so small that they could only take one step forward or backward and could not turn around or lie down comfortably
The investigation also uncovered workers tattooing sows by repeatedly driving sharp metal spikes into their flesh, tossing piglets like footballs, and neglecting sows with untreated injuries
Crammed into houses with little to no room by the tens of thousands
Chickens die of starvation because their bodies grow so big so fast that their legs are unable to support them and they can’t get to food
Die of heart attacks or stress
They are given antibiotics to make them grow rapidly, hearts lung and legs often break down
PETA investigating found worker beating sick an injured turkeys with a metal pole
Chickens are left for weeks in filthy conditions for weeks, left without food or water
Have their throats slit while still conscious
Go insane in the cages, beaks are seared off with a hot blade, so crowded they can’t even spread their wings for their lives
Takes over 48 hours to produce 1 egg
Shock chickens into having another egg cycle by not feeding them for days
90% of hens have broken bones by the time they make it to slaughter
Cattle are castrated and have their horns chopped off, branded without pain killers
Electric prods are used to make the cows go where they are wanted
Meat with pus filled wounds is certified as USDA pure
Injuries and illnesses go untreated
Throats are slit open, skinned and dismembers while still conscious
40% dairy cows are lame by the time they reach slaughter house
Hooked up to machines 4 times a day
Sold for slaughter
More than one hundred thousand cant’ walk off the platform each year and yet are still used for meat
Most hamburgers comes from dairy cows
They are hung upside down, throats slit, blood collected and left to die
Mother cows are impregnated so they produce milk and after calves are born they are taken away, causing stress to the mothers and calves
Calves are used for Veal, crammed into crates where they can’t move or even lay down
If you drink milk you are supporting the veal industry
Veal calves that can barely walk because their muscles are too weak are sold at auctions
Pigs can’t turn around, the first time they will breathe fresh air is when they are on the trucks going to the slaughter house
Baby pigs have ears, teeth and tails cut off without pain killers
Pigs who aren’t growing quickly enough are killed by having their heads slammed against the concrete
Many pigs become ill and injured but aren’t put out of their misery because if they can make it to slaughter they have a chance of generating profit
Pigs who can’t are shot so they don’t waste the companies money buy eating feed
Moving pigs by beating them with gate rods is a common form of abuse
Pigs limbs snap under the pressure of other pigs while being moves to the slaughter house, they often freeze to the sides of the truck or die of dehydration
Four hundred thousand arrive unable to walk a year
One hundred thousand arrive dead, figures may be much higher
Improper stunning allows pigs to have their throats cut while still awake
"Pro and Con Slaughter Arguments - Habitat for Horses - Equine Protection Organization - Horse Rescue, Rehabilitation, Horse Education and Adoptions." Habitat for Horses. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. http://habitatforhorses.org/joincampaigns/proandcon.html.
"McDonald's Cruelty: The Rotten Truth About Egg McMuffins." McDonald's Cruelty: The Rotten Truth About Egg McMuffins. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. http://www.mcdonaldscruelty.com/.
Hidden-camera footage taken at Sparboe facilities in Iowa, Minnesota and Colorado reveals:
"Worker's Diary." House of Raeford Slaughterhouse Investigation. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. http://www.mercyforanimals.org/hor/diary.aspx.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
- “Today I saw about 50 dead turkeys on the trucks, and about 80 live birds fell onto the floor. A worker tried to throw a turkey up to the double-sided dock from its rail side.”
- “The bird was about to hit the rail when another worker kneed the bird and then kicked it, knocking it back down to the floor. The worker threw the turkey a second time, but it hit the underside of the dock and dropped straight down to the cement floor for its third time that day.”
- “The bird lay in watery feces for about two hours before being picked up and hung on the line - the turkey could keep its head up and blink; it was otherwise motionless.”
- “Many turkeys were covered in blood today, and about four had their wings torn such that I could see the main bone of the wing sticking out from their bodies.”
- “Another turkey had a gash in its underside about 8 inches long and opened up about 3 inches wide. Also, about three turkeys were smashed under the wheels of the tucks in the bay today."
Thursday, January 11, 2007- “I saw many turkeys with large gaps of missing feathers and large blood stains today.”
- “One small turkey had its foot stuck under its cage wall. A worker grabbed the turkey's right leg and yanked hard several times until the bird came loose. As it did, the worker let go of it and it fell onto the concrete floor under the dock, blood seeping from its left foot and the bird lay motionless with its head up and legs spread out.”
- “The bird lay there for about an hour before it was dropped into the live pen and eventually hanged.”
- “I saw a worker throw a turkey from the double-sided dock to the opposite dock, where it bounced slightly on the flooring and lay motionless with its head up before being hanged shortly thereafter.”
Friday, January 12, 2007- “There were about 100 turkeys and chickens dead upon arrival today - many missing feathers, with open wounds, and with large sores on their feet.”
- “I saw a chicken with an abscess on her left leg about the size of a tennis ball, and another chicken whose right leg was mashed to the point of bloody pulp, and hanged by both legs to go down the line.”
- “I saw several workers sticking their fingers and entire hands into chickens to search for eggs. When they found one, they would usually squeeze the chickens' abdomens as they reached for the egg to pull it out, collecting them for later or throwing them at coworkers.”
- “I also witnessed a worker tear the crest off a hanged hen to throw at a coworker.”
Monday, January 15, 2007- “I saw a turkey with a fleshy abscess about the size of a baseball on its chest today. There were about 80 dead turkeys on the trucks and numerous turkeys with lacerations on their bodies, broken wings, and cut or broken legs and feet.”
- “While we were hanging turkeys from the live pen at one point today, a worker threw a turkey from the one-sided dock to mine, right in front of my feet. The bird hit the metal flooring and immediately began flapping its wings and trying to run.”
Tuesday, January 16, 2007- “I saw a turkey with a soft abscess on its chest larger than the size of a baseball, and several turkeys with broken wings. The broken wings I saw were snapped at the wings' tops so that I could see the bones sticking out.”
- “As usual, I saw dozens of turkeys with swollen knees, though today I saw three with knees that were completely limp, indicating they were either broken or dislocated.”
Wednesday,January 17, 2007- “There were about 100 turkeys dead on arrival at the plant today.”
- “I saw a turkey on the one-sided dock lying on its back and convulsing violently for several minutes, ignored by a worker who stood just yards away. Another turkey was partially run over in the hanging bay. The turkey was unable to walk and was bleeding from its face.”
- “I saw a coworker swing a turkey around themselves like it was a basketball and then ram the turkey into another worker.”
- “I also witnessed another worker swing a turkey around his legs like it was a basketball, hold the turkey between his legs to slap it twice with his right hand, then finally hang it. One of the turkey's legs was broken as a result of the rough handling.”
- “I saw a turkey whose head was in between its cage bars and sticking through the top of the truck. A worker hooked the turkey's neck with his pole and ripped the turkeys head off by yanking with both arms. I later found the turkey's head on my dock, presumably thrown there.”
Thursday, January 18, 2007- “There were about 60 dead turkeys today, and about 30 injured from falling onto the bay floor, resulting in broken knees, evident by swelling, immobility of the joints by the turkey, and a free range of motion at the joints.”
- “The line shut down today, due to a shackle getting stuck in the grinder room. The line was stopped for about 20 minutes, and every available shackle within reach of workers in the hanging bay had a turkey hanged on it. After a few minutes the turkeys were opening and closing their beaks slowly, as if gasping for breath.”
- “I observed the kill room today. In about 20 seconds I saw about 10 turkeys thrashing violently for several seconds, and some continually as they left my view, after having their throats cut.”
Friday, January 19, 2007- “I saw two turkeys with large abscess on their chests. One was larger than a baseball, and the other was slightly smaller than a cantaloupe. I saw dozens of birds with bloody rear ends, one turkey with a bloody scab on its right hip about 10 inches in diameter, and several turkeys with broken, bloody wings.”
- “One such bird, whose right wing was broken and right side was covered in blood, was lying on the bay floor near a DOA (Dead On Arrival) bin. Thinking the bird was dead, a worker picked it up and slung it against the side of the DOA bin, missing its open top. A manager e then pointed out that the bird was still alive. The turkey was then hanged on the line - breathing but otherwise completely immobile.”
Tuesday, January 23, 2007- “Today, for about three minutes, I saw a worker use the turkeys on the line as punching bags. Using his right hand, he would punch their heads with quick jabs and then swing into their bodies with his right hand, sometimes turning his hips and shoulders for leverage. When he would swing, the turkeys would fly back on their shackles from the impact.”
Wednesday, January 24, 2007- “I saw one worker stand on a turkey's leg that was dangling over the two-foot high section of the double-sided dock, holding the turkey in the air. As two workers looked on, the first worker let go of the turkey as soon as a truck's wheels passed by, crushing the turkeys right wing when it fell. The turkey was left on the ground unattended.”
- “Another turkey that was run over at the end of the day was left twitching and openly bleeding from several wounds.”
Thursday, January 25, 2007- “Two turkeys were run over by trucks. By the end of the day their bodies were red mush.”
Friday, January 26, 2007- “I saw dozens of turkeys with broken knees and ankles, several with open bleeding wounds, one with a broken right wing with a bone sticking out of a bleeding opening in the birds' side, and a turkey with a thick bloody scab covering the entire right side of the turkey's torso.”
Monday, January 29, 2007- “I saw a worker throw a round-kick into a chicken, and knee another while they were on the line on the lowest end of the double-sided dock. Both strikes were forceful enough to send the birds swinging on their shackles.”
Tuesday, January 30, 2007- “I saw two turkeys with soft tumors on their chests larger than baseballs, and several turkeys with broken, freely moving knees or ankles.”
- “I saw a worker try to pull a turkey whose leg was stuck under the rear wire wall of its cage free by pulling on the turkey with a pole latched to the turkeys' neck near its head. The head popped off, with the body flopping around afterward until a worker managed to pry it free.”
Wednesday, January 31, 2007- “About 50 turkeys were dead on arrival, two live ones were run over by trucks, and I pulled about 30 out of cages with broken/dislocated knees and/or ankles. A variety of turkeys had open bleeding wounds, and one had a large fleshy tumor on its chest the size of a cantaloupe, that was hanging down about eight inches.”
- “Several turkeys had their legs stuck under the cage wire walls - one had its left leg stuck past the knee. The leg was scraped and bleeding, and the turkey's belly had an open wound covering it in blood. A worker grabbed the turkey by its neck and pulled on it for about 14 seconds”.
- “He turned the turkey from left to right while pulling on its neck, and then he put one foot on a cage under the turkey and pulled on its neck several times as hard as he could. The turkey remained stuck.”
Monday, February 5, 2007- “Today I saw the kill room. I saw birds flapping their wings and flailing their bodies after about half a minute of having their throats' cut.”
- “I saw a live hanger step on a turkey's neck after it fought him as he tried to hang it. As one of his feet stood on the turkey's neck, he held onto one leg and slapped the other with his hand until it kicked up for him to grab. He then hanged the turkey.”
Wednesday, February 7, 2007- “I saw a live hanger step on a turkey's neck today when the bird fought him as he tried to hang it. He slammed his right foot down on the neck as he held the turkey's legs, and the bird began convulsing uncontrollably. He then threw the bird aside behind the line of shackles and kicked the bird in its head as it continued having spasm. A couple minutes later, the turkey stopped moving.”
- “I saw several turkeys with bloody sores and cuts, including one with a large bloody sore about four inches across on the back left of her body. I also saw a five-pound turkey shackled on the line who was missing all of her feathers, with bloody scabs covering her body.”
Thursday, February 8, 2007- “Today I witnessed over 20 turkeys with broken/dislocated knees and/or ankles, including one turkey with two swollen, broken knees dark with bruising. The legs moved like jelly. I saw several dozen turkeys with bleeding wounds on various parts of their bodies, and two turkeys with soft tumors on their chests about the size of cantaloupes.”
Friday, February 9, 2007"Undercover Investigations: Exposing Animal Abuse." Undercover Investigations of Factory Farms and Slaughterhouses. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. http://www.mercyforanimals.org/investigations.aspx.
"Meet Your Meat | ChooseVeg.com." ChooseVeg.com: A Guide to Vegetarian and Vegan Living. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. http://www.chooseveg.com/meet-your-meat.asp.